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ME 354 Tutorial, Week#11 Non-Reacting Mixtures - Psychrometrics Applied To A Cooling Tower
ME 354 Tutorial, Week#11 Non-Reacting Mixtures - Psychrometrics Applied To A Cooling Tower
Determine:
a) the mass flow rate of dry air,
b) the mass flow rate of make-up water, and
c) the temperature of the cooled liquid water exiting the cooling tower.
Exhaust Air
Tdb,4=40 C
4 = 90%
4
Warm Condenser
Water
mw,1=15000 kgw/s Inlet Air
T1 =45 C 1 3
Va,3=8000 m /s
Tdb,3=30 C
Twb,3=20 C
3
Cooled 5
Condenser Water Make-up Water
mw,2 = mw,1 mmw =? kgw/s
T2 =? C 2 T5 =20 C
1
Air Tdb (°C) Twb (°C) (%) w (kgv/kga) v (m3/kga) h (kJ/kga)
3 30 20
4 40 90
Step 4: Calculations
Part a)
The mass flow rate of dry air can be determined using the volumetric flow rate of
air into the cooling tower (given in the problem as 8000 m3/s) and the specific
volume of this air as shown in Eq1.
•
V a ,3
ma ,3 = (Eq1)
v a ,3
We can determine the specific volume of the air entering the cooling tower by
determining the state point of location 3 on the psychrometric chart using Tdb,3 =
30C and Tw b,3 = 20C.
Substituting this value and the given volumetric flow rate into Eq1 we can
determine the mass flow rate of dry air.
m3
• 8000
→ ma ,3 =
V a ,3
= s
= 9163.8 kg a/s Answer a)
v a ,3 m3
0.873
kga
Part b)
•
To determine the mass flow rate of the make-up water, denoted as m mw , we can
perform a mass balance on the water entering/exiting our cooling tower control
volume. At location 1 we have the stream of water entering the cooling tower
2
•
from the condenser, which we will denote as m w,1 . At location 2 we have the
stream of water exiting the cooling tower to be returned to the condenser, which
• • •
we will denote as m w, 2 . We are told in the problem statement that m w,1 = m w, 2 =
•
m w . At location 3, we have the moisture entering the cooling tower control
•
volume carried in by the incoming air. We will denote this as m v ,3 . At location 4,
we have the moisture leaving the cooling tower control volume carried out by the
•
exiting air. We will denote this as m v , 4 . The mass balance on the water is
performed in Eq2.
• • • • • • • •
m w − m w + m v,3 − m v, 4 + m mw = 0 → m mw = m v, 4 − m v,3 (Eq2)
Note: We could have developed Eq2 immediately by reasoning that the amount
of water that needs to be “made-up” for will be equal to the amount of moisture
that is picked up in the cooling tower by the air and exhausted.
• •
We can express m v ,3 & m v , 4 in terms of the corresponding mass flow rates of dry
air at location 3 & 4 and their respective humidity ratios w3 & w4 as shown in Eq3
and Eq4.
• •
m v ,3 = w3 m a ,3 (Eq3)
• •
m v, 4 = w4 m a , 4 (Eq4)
• • • • •
m mw = m v, 4 − m v,3 = w4 m a , 4 − w3 m a ,3 (Eq5)
From our assumption that the cooling tower operates in a steady manner, the
• • •
mass flow rate of air will be constant i.e. m a ,3 = m a , 4 = m a . Eq5 can be rewritten
as Eq6.
• •
m mw = m a ( w4 − w3 ) (Eq6)
Recall that we determined the mass flow rate of dry air in part a). We can
determine the humidity ratio of the air entering the cooling tower by using state
point 3 on the psychrometric chart.
3
Unfortunately, state point 4 (Tdb,4 = 40C & =90%) is off the psychrometric chart
so we will have to calculate the value of w4 using equation 13-11b from Cengel
and Boles as shown below.
0.622 4 Pg 0.622(0.9)(7.384) kg
→ w4 = = = 0.0437 v
P − 4 Pg 101.3 − 0.9(7.384) kga
Substituting these values into Eq6, we can determine the mass flow rate of the
make-up water.
• •
kg kg
→ m mw = m a ( w4 − w3 ) = 9163.8 a (0.0437 − 0.0106) v
s kga
4
• •
m a (h3 − h4 ) + m mw hmw
hw, 2 = hw,1 + •
(Eq8)
mw
• • •
We have previously determined m a and m mw , and we are given m w in the
problem statement.
hw ,1
Since we have assumed saturated liquid water at location 1 we can determine
hw ,1 from Table A-4 using T1 = 45C.
kJ
→ hw,1 = 188.45
kgw
h3
Using state point 3 on the psychrometric chart we can determine h3.
kJ
→ h3 = 58
kga
h4
As stated previously, state point 4 is off the psychrometric chart so we must
calculate h4. Using equation 13-1a from Cengel and Boles, we can calculate the
enthalpy of DRY AIR alone.
kJ kJ
→ ha , 4 = 1.005 (40 C ) = 40.2
kga • C
kga
We can calculate the enthalpy of the MOISTURE in the air using Table A-4 for hg
@ T = 40C.
kJ
→ hg , 4 = 2574.3
kgv
To combine the dry air and moisture enthalpies at location 4 into one term, h4, we
need to convert the enthalpy of the moisture to be on a “per kg of dry air” basis
by multiplying it by the humidity ratio, w4.
kJ kgv kJ kJ
→ h4 = ha , 4 + w4 hg , 4 = 40.2 + 0.0437 2574.3 = 152.7
kga kga kgv kga
5
hm w
Since we have assumed saturated liquid water at location 5 we can determine
hmw from Table A-4 using T5=20C.
kJ
→ hmw = 83.96
kgw
Substituting these values into Eq8, we can determine the enthalpy of the water at
location 2.
kg kJ
+ (303.3) w (83.96) kJ
kg
9163.8 a (58 − 152.7) s
kJ s
kga
kgw
hw, 2 = 188.45 +
kgw kg
15000 w
s
kJ kJ kJ
→ hw, 2 = 188.45 − 56.16 = 132.3
kgw kgw kgw
132.3 − 125.79 T − 30 C
= 2
146.68 − 125.79 35 C − 30 C
→T 2 = 31.6C Answer c)
Step 5: Summary